Concealed Carry permits in the United States have risen to 16.3 million. This number does not count people who live in constitutional carry states or open carry states. How many of those folks are out there is anybody’s guess, but you don’t have to hold a PHD in statistics to figure out that it’s a bunch. In the last 12 months alone, the number of permits grew by 1.83 million; that is more than 5000 a day. It is important to note that the number of permits have never gone down, they just keep growing.

For those people who are stuck in “may issue” states, hope is on the way. For those who don’t know how a “may issue” permit works, some holier-than-thou bureaucrat decides whether you should be issued a concealed carry permit, even if you otherwise qualify. Washington DC is one of those places. In Washington DC, you have to have a “good reason” to get a concealed carry permit, including those people who have been threatened with death or repeatedly attacked. Getting a permit in “may issue” states is nearly impossible. For example, in recent years, the state of Hawaii issues one permit.

The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) sued in the Wrenn v. District of Columbia and the “good reason” law has been struck down by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. As Alan M. Gottlieb, Executive Vice President or the SAF put it, “Today’s ruling contains some powerful language that affirms what we have argued for years, that requiring a so-called ‘good cause’ to exercise a constitutionally-protected right does not pass the legal smell test.” Good job SAF!

Despite the increase in concealed carry licenses throughout the country, the anti-self-defense crowd is increasing their attacks on concealed carry and lawfully armed citizens. They are will funded, noisy and resolute in their mission. I would remind everyone that in 1917 the Bolsheviks only made up a small percentage of the Russian population but were able to bring down the government. We have too many gun owners and concealed carry permit holders who are sitting on their duff letting someone else carry the burden of protecting their rights. It is time for those folks to join or rejoin state and national gun rights organizations and start helping. I would suggest the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA).Click here.

Here is why you should join the ISRA: The Illinois State Rifle Association and the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) are supporting a lawsuit against Cook County to nullify their so-called “assault weapons ban”. ISRA Attorney David Sigale represents plaintiffs Mathew D. Wilson and Troy Edhlund in this suit. Law abiding citizens are always the targets of such laws, despite what the anti-gun side claims. They use the ruse of crime control as the Trojan Horse to attack the Second Amendment.

August has arrived and, with it, the first of the hunting seasons – squirrel. The Red Moon of August foretells the other seasons to come in short order, upland game, waterfowl, turkey and deer. There are sales on hunting equipment, firearms and ammunition. This year the prices are better than in recent years, particularly on ammunition. There is a lot more to preparing for hunting season than buying the latest gizmo that Daniel Boone somehow survived without having. Most hunters do not spend enough time shooting their gun and do not use it far enough in advance so that if there is a problem it can remedied long before opening day.

This year the ISRA will hold its annual Sighting-in-Day at the ISRA Range on October 7, from 9:30am until 3:30pm. We can accommodate rifles, pistols, shotguns and muzzleloaders. We will have a patterning board for those who want to test different shot shells for their shotgun, and people there to help you do so.

Each year people show up with one type of ammunition to sight in the gun and another type to actually hunt with. It does not work that way. Different ammunition will have a different point of impact. I have found deer slugs are particularly susceptible to this phenomenon. All ammunition is produced in lots. A lot number will be on the box most often on one of the end flaps of the box; you should buy the same lot number, if at all possible. Different lots of the same brand and type of ammunition often have a different point of impact. One question we always get is, “How much ammunition should I buy?” That answer is at least 50 rounds. Here is why: Sighting-in-Day exposes lots of interesting things. We have seen sights fall off, loose scope mounts, wrong ammunition, crosshairs break inside the scope, magazines that won’t work and just any number of things that couldn’t possibly go wrong, but do. Whenever you start over, you use more ammunition. It is better to find things out at Sighting-in-Day rather than on Opening Day. It is also better to buy your ammunition early, when the selection is better. If you are near the ISRA Range, come on out. The charge is $10.00 per firearm, much cheaper than a ruined hunting trip.